But wait, we could go to Flagstaff. It’s only an hour away, a few thousand feet higher in elevation, and just 85 degrees F (29 C). So off we went with our guests.
There’s a lot to see and do in Flagstaff, but we decided to go to the Arboretum www.thearb.org . Part of the fun of getting to the Arboretum is the dirt road. It’s well maintained, and a couple miles long. Look in your rear-view mirror, and you will see a huge dust cloud behind you. I felt like I was drive a super hero’s car, and had hit the smoke-screen button. It was great fun for me, not so much for the car behind me.
The Arboretum is a 200 acre site with plenty of shade, usually a nice breeze, and is very quiet and peaceful. Between the grounds and greenhouse, you can see over 2,500 species of mostly drought-tolerant plants found on the Colorado Plateau. There’s wildlife in the area too. We saw a mommy and baby bunny, squirrels, birds, fish and lizards. Sometimes you will see elk too.
We spent time in the museum and gift shop when we first arrived, and I managed to get a few birthday and Christmas gifts. I like to shop all year long for gifts, so I don’t go broke when birthdays and Christmas arrive. Especially since I have four friends whose birthdays are the week before Christmas.
A big draw for us on this visit to the Arboretum was the new Butterfly House www.thearb.org/visit/tours-and-activities/ . It’s in a tent-like structure, and there were about a dozen butterflies inside. More butterflies will be added soon. It’s a small structure, but it easily holds 10 people, and they let me use my tripod. I created some really nice pictures of the butterflies and flowers, and even had a Monarch land on my arm.